Tracing The Force Of Habit Through The History Of Philosophy: An Interview With Dr Clare Carlisle Tresch
It's one of the most haunting passages in Seneca's writings. He says if you were to stop most people as they were going about their day, and "you ask one of them...‘Where are you going? What do you have in mind?’ he will reply, ‘I really don’t know.'" So many...
Blind Paralympian Verity Smith On The Core Stoic Teaching, Finding Inner Tranquility, And Transcending Physical Limitations
This is our second interview with the great Verity Smith—a blind international dressage rider, singer, songwriter, author, and longtime student and practitioner of Stoicism. Verity was told at the age of eight that she would soon lose her vision. Attributing her youthful innocence, Verity's response was one of optimism if...
The Stoic Guide To Coaching
What do Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, Andy McKay and Shaka Smart all have in common? They’re all incredible coaches, sure. But a love of ancient philosophy? Surprisingly, yes. In a recent article on the power of Stoicism in professional sports, ESPN highlighted coaches and athletes from every sport...
How To Be A Bad Emperor: An Interview With Author And Professor Josiah Osgood
There were not many good emperors in Rome. There have not been many good kings since. In fact, there haven’t been many good leaders ever—there is something about power that seems to bring out the worst in people. All one has to do is read Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars...
History of Challenge Coins
If you’ve served in the Military, Law Enforcement, or in any government agency, you’ve probably seen challenge coins passed around. Historically, a challenge coin holds the emblem or insignia of a specific group and is carried by that group’s members. Roman Legionnaires, military personnel and private sector companies have all...
The Power of Habits: What The Ancients Knew About Making Good Ones & Breaking Bad Ones
Arete—the most powerful word to the Stoics. It means excellence, and it was the ultimate expression of human greatness—moral, physical, spiritual. It’s what the Stoics were chasing. It’s what we’re all chasing. Reaching it requires a certain philosophical approach. Because brilliance and inspiration and skill are not enough. Summing up...
How To Remain Calm When The Rest Of The World Is Freaking Out: 9 Tips From The Stoics
It’s no question that the world is an alarming place right now. Iran is saber rattling in the Middle East. China is ascendant. North Korea is a rogue state with nuclear capabilities. The oceans are rising. Rhetoric grows more hateful and more divisive. And of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is...
How To Plan Your Day Like Marcus Aurelius
We took the best Stoic tactics for better habits and created the Daily Stoic Habits for Success, Habits for Happiness challenge. 6-weeks to your best habits. Learn more here. Two thousand years ago, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote his personal thoughts and observations in a journal he titled “To...
How To Think Like Shakespeare: An Interview With Scott Newstok
Frustrated by modernity's approach to education and the way we think of thinking, award-winning professor, author, and parent Scott Newstok set out to demystify the making of one of history's greatest minds and unlock the keys to intellectual brilliance in his masterful new book How To Think Shakespeare. A teacher at...
Finding Meaning In Our Suffering: What The Stoics Can Teach Us About Tragedy, Loss, and Pandemics
The Stoics, like everyone who has walked this earth, were not unfamiliar with suffering. It was a fact of life in Rome just as it is a fact today. Marcus Aurelius’ reign, while he was loved by the people of Rome, was anything but easy. Wars, political rebellions, economic collapse,...
